KCM’s collection

Kerry County Museum holds in trust, collects and cares for artefacts related to the county of Kerry and its people. Our collection consists of approximately 4,000 artefacts dating from the stone age through to the late twentieth century. Each of these tells a story about the people of Kerry. The Museum actively collects suitable artefacts and these are usually acquired through donation or reporting of archaeological finds. More detailed information is available in the Archaeological Finds and Donations sections.

Kerry County Museum’s collection is housed in the Ashe Memorial Hall and is divided between our various exhibitions and our storage facilities. We practice preventative conservation and all our objects are kept in environments suitable to their material and condition. We endeavour to give as much access to the collection as is reasonably possible. Currently most objects in the collection, with the exception of any that may be on loan to KCM, are available to researchers and members of the public for examination by appointment. The Museum only permits material to be examined within the Museum building during normal working hours and under staff supervision.

Denny Letter – Signed by Lord Burghley, Lord Treasurer
of England, this letter authorises payment to Edward Denny
for his part in quelling the Desmond Rebellion. He was
subsequently granted 6,000 acres in Tralee and the
surrounding countryside.

ON VIEW: BY REQUEST

Denny Letter detail – The letter was originally folded four
times, down to the size of a small notelet and you can see
traces of the wax seal; unfolded it’s slightly smaller than
A4 – about American letter size.

ON VIEW: BY REQUEST

Bronze Spearhead – Found in
a bog in Tullig, near Waterville
in 2012, this leaf-shaped
bronze spearhead dates from
the late Bronze Age, and it is
hollow so that a wooden
handle can be fitted into it.

ON VIEW: BY REQUEST

Horn Spoon – Found in Kilfeighney, near
Lixnaw this spoon dates from the 14th
century. Horn, bone and antler were the
plastic of medieval Ireland – cheap and
easy to use.

ON DISPLAY: MAIN GALLERY

Wilson Watercolour – Edward Wilson, scientist, naturalist
and artist, came to Kerry on holidays in 1905 and painted a
number of landscapes of the area. A member of two Antarctic
expeditions, he died there in 1912.